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Cincinnati Bengals clear priority is Clint Boling

By Kevin Parvizi

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The Cincinnati Bengals don’t go after big-name free agents this offseason, but, if Mike Brown chooses to buck the trend, then this is the year to do it. They know they need some more difference-makers to get over that one-and-done hump, and they have the cap space to do it. Moreover, they don’t have many big free agents set to hit the open market, but the Bengals do have one player they need to make sure to keep in left guard Clint Boling.

Orlando Franklin, Mike Iupati, and Boling are the three top impending free agent guards, and while Boling is clearly the smallest name of the trio, he is a good player in his own right. He and more heralded teammate Kevin Zeitler form one of the league’s best and most underrated guard duos in the running game, as both did an excellent job of moving the pile for star rookie Jeremy Hill.

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It’s Boling’s run blocking that makes him a huge part of the Bengals offense, since they need to keep a guy who keeps one of their strengths ticking. He also played some right tackle last season when Andre Smith first went down, so that added versatility only helps his case.

In most offseasons, a guy like Boling wouldn’t be a team’s priority to re-sign, but it’s hard to argue that either Rey Maualuga or Terence Newman are better players. Newman isn’t bad but could easily be upgraded at corner, whereas Maualuga is an average, reliable linebacker who holds less value to the Bengals than an excellent run-blocking guard.

The notion that the Bengals don’t have any true priority impending free agents is an accurate one, because a devil’s advocate could even make the case for the team not needing to re-sign Boling.

He struggled as a pass blocker, per Pro Football Focus, allowing three sacks and an additional ten QB hits last season (including the postseason) but did at least finish with a slightly above-average Pass Blocking Efficiency rating compared to his peers at the position.Of course, he also plays with better linemates than the rest of them, most notably receiving help from elite left tackle Andrew Whitworth as the team’s left guard.

That said, Boling is one of the league’s best run blockers, and the added continuity he would bring to the table only boosts his value to the Bengals. This team’s identity is undoubtedly on the ground with Hue Jackson at the helm, but it obviously goes beyond Jackson. I mean, why wouldn’t you pound the ball with a beastly rusher like Hill and a talented partner, as long as he’s in a more limited role that optimizes his touches, in Giovani Bernard? It’s not like you can run an offense through Andy Dalton either, right?

Throw in offensive linemen who excel in the running game like Whitworth, Boling, and Zeitler, and you get an offensive nucleus that is built on pounding defenses with the running game. It’s why they were fifth in the NFL in carries, averaged 4.4 yards per carry, and finished with over 2,100 rushing yards in 2014. With a full season of Hill next season, the Cincinnati Bengals will be even more dangerous on the ground.

Clint Boling and rookie center Russell Bodine, who was the default weak link on the offensive line due to being surrounded by excellent players, led the team with 1090 snaps, per PFF, so it’s clear that this team knows how valuable Boling was to the offense last season.

Since they do recognizes that, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer recently reported that the team will “most likely” re-sign Boling first, which underscores just how much of a priority he is for the team in comparison to the other impending free agents, such as Newman. Per Dehner Jr., there’s mutual interest from both sides, and I would be shocked if the Bengals don’t get a fair deal done with Boling before the start of free agency.

In addition to his prowess as a run blocker last season and his about-average pass protection, Boling will be just 26 when the 2015 season starts, so he should have plenty of years of very good play at the position in him, making him an important piece on the offensive line for this organization. Again, continuity is a big key on lines, and keeping Boling around would maintain a high level of chemistry up front.

So while Clint Boling is technically the Bengals free agent priority by default, he’s also a pretty darn good player who deserves to be a part of this team for several more seasons. He should make between $4 and 5 million per season, which will be a deserved raise from a rookie contract that paid him between $600 and $700K.

Next: Mock Draft: Bengals add a stud LB

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